Is it possible to monitor all my desktop machines log files (50 desktops). If possible I would assume its accomplished via some sort of forwarder? Beginner so be easy on me.... need step by step instructions.
Windows, Linux, Mac desktops ... you can just use the Splunk Universal Forwarder (UF).
Universal Forwarder Documentation
For ease of desktop management, you could bundle the UF and its config as part of the base Operating System image.
Or for a bit more flexibility, you could also configure the UF's centrally using Splunk Deployment Server or a third party tool like Puppet or Chef.